As a family caregiver, your health and well-being is important. But how can you find ways to care for yourself and juggle your role as a caregiver? These tips offer you can use on daily basis to make your tasks easier and make sure you’re not neglecting your own needs. Download here.
Life as a Caregiver: What About Me?
It is important to take care of yourself so you are able to take care of your loved one. In this video, those caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s share their challenges in caring for themselves and tips they’ve implemented to make self-care easier. Watch the video.
Difficult Emotions are Normal:
Caregiving isn’t easy. The day-to-day demands and stress take a toll. That toll can leave you feeling a range of challenging emotions. These feelings can leave us doubting our abilities to care for our loved ones, but the most important thing to know is that you are not alone.
What do these emotions look like?
- Anger at your loved one or other members of the care team.
- Frustration
- Sadness
- Uncertainty
The range of emotions you may be feeling can be a sign of depression and other mental health issues. Take a screening to find out more.
Community is Key!
Support Groups! Finding a community of support can be key in realizing you’re not alone and can provide a safe space where you can share and ask questions of your peers.
- Find out what kind of support group is right for you.
- Determine if an in-person support group or an online forum meets your needs.
- There are a wide range of Facebook support groups as well, these are all independently managed but you can locate groups based on different subjects and themes, including your loved one’s condition, your region, and your role as a family caregiver.
What makes a support group successful?
- A safe haven for sharing true feelings
- A place to make new friends
- Information about resources and coping mechanisms
- Advice on what lies ahead
- Help in dealing with family members
Where to find a group?
- The social work department of hospitals
- Adult daycare centers
- Voluntary organizations that deal with your loved one’s condition,
- i.e., ALS Society (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), MSSociety (Multiple Sclerosis), United Cerebral Palsy, etc.
- Area Agencies on Aging
- Your faith community
- Parent to Parent USA
- Your physician’s office
CAN’s Care Chat is an online forum for caregivers that allows for total anonymity and a space free of stigma and fear.
Social Media Groups and Accounts! You can find a wide range of caregiver support groups on platforms such as Facebook. These are independently managed and monitored and may be segmented based on the disease state of your loved one, your region, or even a local place of worship or community-based organization. This is a great way to integrate this caregiver conversation into a platform you may already be frequenting.
Being a caregiver can feel isolating. Even with friends and family around, they may not be able to understand the unique challenges of your role and may not be able to answer tough questions you have.
That’s where CAN’s Caregiver Help Desk comes in. Connect with a caregiving expert to find a listening ear and the support you need. CAN’s Caregiver Help Desk is an on-demand resource you can utilize in a way most convenient to you – call, chat, or e-mail – to connect with caregiving experts to find answers and support in your specific circumstance.
Call (855)227-3640 or visit CaregiverAction.org to connect via chat or e-mail.